List of volcanoes in Pakistan

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Contents
[hide]

 1 External links

Main article: Lists of volcanoes

This is a list of active and extinct volcanoes in Pakistan. Most of these are mud volcanoes, rather
than the conventional magmatic type.

Elevation Location
Name Last eruption
meters feet Coordinates
Neza e Sultan - - - -
Malan Island - - - -
Jebel e Ghurab - - - -
Chandragup - - - -
Hingol - - - -

[edit] External links

 Makran Mud Volcanoes
 The Volcanoes of Pakistan
 Active mud volcanoes on- and offshore eastern Makran, Pakistan
 The mud volcanoes of Pakistan

tae si tuts

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_volcanoes_in_Pakistan"

Neza e Sultan
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Neza e Sultan (Urdu: ‫( )نیزہ سلطان‬Neza means spear; Sultan means King; literally Spear of
Sultan) is located in Chagai District, Balochistan, Pakistan. Neza e Sultan is an extinct volcano
and only the magma chamber remains and it looks like a spear.

Malan Island
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Malan Island is an offshore mud volcano located in the Arabian Sea, 3 kilometres off the coast
of Balochistan, Pakistan. It rose out of the water overnight in March 1999.[1]

Malan Island no longer exists. It rose because of different phenomenon than the mud
volcanoes. It subsided within a year.[citation

Jebel e Ghurab
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Jebel e Ghurab is located in Balochistan, Pakistan. It is a mud volcano.

Chandragup
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Chandragup is a mud volcano located in Balochistan, Pakistan.

[edit] Religious Significance

Also known as Chandrakup, the volcano is considered holy by Hindus and is an important stop
for pilgrims on their way to the shrine of Devi (goddess) Hinglaj.
[edit] See also

Hingol mud volcano

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Hingol mud volcano (Urdu: ‫ )ہنگول‬are located in Makran District, Balochistan, Pakistan. It is a
mud volcano located in Hingol National Park.

These are not located on the main road so you will have to consult the locals to guide you to the
exact location. A landmark is a SSGC installation.

The mud oozing out is not hot and is rather cool. There is no objective information available on
what causes it. The locals have stories to tell about these though.

Mud Volcano 1 Mud Volcano 3

Mud Volcano 2

Hinglaj
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For temple, see Hinglaj Mata.

Hinglaj

Hinglaj
 Coordinates: / 27.0°N 67.0°ECoordinates: / 27.0°N
67.0°E

Country  Pakistan

Province Balochistan

Time zone PST (UTC+5)

Hinglaj is very close to Sindh, where many devotees are from.

Hinglaj (Urdu: ‫ﮨنگالج‬, Sanskrit: हिङ्ग्लाज, Hindi: हिंगलाज) is an important Hindu pilgrimage
place in Balochistan, Pakistan and Kuldevi of Kshatriya Bhavsar Community. It is situated in
Balochistan province about 250 km north-west of Karachi[1].

Contents
[hide]

 1 Mythological Origin
 2 Geographical Location
 3 Social Significance
 4 The Pilgrimage
o 4.1 Baba Chandrakup
o 4.2 Reaching the Shrine
o 4.3 The Shrine's Mark
o 4.4 The Shrine
 5 Hingula Pithas
 6 Notes
 7 See also
 8 References

[edit] Mythological Origin

When Lord Vishnu cut up the body of Sati into 51 pieces so that Lord Shiva would calm down
and stop his Tandava, the pieces were scattered over various places in the Indian subcontinent. It
is said that the head of Sati fell at Hingula or Hinglaj and is thus considered the most important
of the 51 Shakti Peeths. At each of the Peeths, Bhairaba ( a manifestation of Shiva) accompanies
the relics. The Bhariaba at Hinglaj is called Bhimalochana. The Sanskrit texts mention the part as
'Brahmadreya' or vital essence. for details http://www.scribd.com/doc/33863665/Hinglaj-Mata-
Festival-Hingol-National-Park-report

In the Ramayana, after slaying Ravana, Lord Ram came to Hinglaj to atone for his sin of
'Brahmhatya' (killing a Brahmin). Ravana was a Brahmin and a great devotee of Lord Shiva and
Durga. Lord Ram meditated at Hinglaj as it was a very important shrine.

The mantra or incantation for Devi Hinglaj is attributed to Saint Dadhichi, an important saint in
Hindu mythology. The mantra is :

OM HINGULE PARAM HINGULE AMRUTRUPINI TANU SHAKTI MANAH SHIVE SHREE

HINGULAI NAMAH SWAHA

Translation : "Oh Hingula Devi, she who holds nectar in her self and is power incarnate. She
who is one with Lord Shiva, to her we pay our respects and make this offering (swaha)"

[edit] Geographical Location

Hinglaj is situated in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. It is near the peak of one of the
mountains of the Makran range. It is approximately 120 km from the Indus River Delta and
20 km from the Arabian Sea. The area is extremely arid and the pilgrimage also called 'Nani ki
Haj' by local Muslims takes place before summer. The pilgrimage starts at a place near the Hao
river which is 10 km from Karachi.

signboard on M.C.H
Nani Mandir

The name of Hinglaj lends itself to the Hingol river, the largest in Balochistan and the Hingol
National Park which at 6,200 square kilometers is the largest in Pakistan.

Since it is located in a desert which is called Maru in Sanskrit, the shrine is referred in holy texts
as "Marutirtha Hinglaj" which means Hinglaj, the Shrine of the desert.

The Makran Coastal Highway linking Quetta and Gwadar passes through Balochistan. It was
built by FWO and follows the same path which Alexander took when he ended his campaign.
The highway has made the pilgrimage and visiting the shrine very convenient.

[edit] Social Significance

Despite the partition and the increasing Islamic stance of the Pakistani Government and society,
Hinglaj has survived and is in fact revered by local Muslims who call it 'Nani ki Mandir'.
Muslims offer red or saffron clothes, incense, candles and a sweet preparation called 'Sirini' to
the deity[citation needed]. The Muslims protected sites like Hinglaj which are the last vestiges of the
Hindu society which once straddled the area.

Hingula means cinnabar (HgS Mercuric Sulphide). It was used in ancient India to cure snakebite
and other poisonings and is still employed in traditional medicine. The Goddess Hingula is thus
believed to possess powers which can cure poisoning and other diseases. The Muslim name
'Nani' is an abbreviation of the name of the ancient Goddess "Nanaia", whose Persian name is
"Anahita".

[edit] The Pilgrimage

Although the road linking the port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea with the interior has shortened
the pilgrimage a lot, the ancient path followed for millennia through the Baluch desert is
endowed with a unique importance. The very journey on foot is considered a penance to purify
oneself before approaching the deity. An account of such a journey is given below.

The pilgrims are led by priests or caretakers of the shrine through the desert. They hold a wooden
trident in their hands. The trident or Trishul is the weapon of Lord Shiva and hence is associated
with the Sati too. Since they hold the trident during the trip, they are called 'Charidaars' (Those
who hold the stick or Chadi). The Chadi is draped with saffron, red or pink coloured fabrics.

The priests give a saffron cloth to every pilgrim and an oath is taken that each would help the
other. However they are warned not to share their personal stores of water. This act is deemed to
be a sort of fast and penance necessary for the journey.

On the path to the shrine are situated wells which are guarded by the local tribesmen. Feuds over
water, a scarce commodity, is common in the area. The tribesmen are offered food consisting
primarily of Roti (circular flat disks of baked flour) in lieu of water.
[edit] Baba Chandrakup

An important stop during the pilgrimage is the mud volcano called 'Chandrakup' (literally 'Moon
Well'). It is considered holy and is addressed as 'Baba Chandrakup' The volcano is filled with
mud, instead of magma, hence the term "mud volcano". It is considered to be the abode of
Babhaknath. It is one of the few sites of active volcanic activity in the Asian mainland. The mud
is semi fluid and sometimes it spills over and aggregates and cools into hillocks which surround
the site. There are altogether 18 mud volcanoes in the region.

Pilgrims stay up all night at the base of the volcano making Rotis which are offered to the
volcano. The activity is considered to be very holy. The ingredients, flour, ghee (clarified butter),
jaggery, sugar are mixed on a cloth which is held at all times at four corners by pilgrims. This is
done to ensure that it never touches the ground. The prepared Rotis are covered with wood.

At daybreak, the Rotis are carried by the pilgrims and priests to the mouth of the crater. A Chadi
or Wooden Trident is planted near the edge of the crater and offerings of incense and cannabis
are made along with recitation of 'mantras'. The rotis are then tore up and cast into the crater.

After this ritual every pilgrim is asked to confess his sins and ask for forgiveness. Anyone who
refuses or hesitates to confess to his or her sins is ostracised and abandoned by the party. After
the confession, the party proceeds with the permission of 'Baba Chandrakup'.

[edit] Reaching the Shrine

The pilgrimage continues for another four to five days after leaving Chandrakup. The final stop
is a small village with wooden houses. It is home to the caretakers of the shrine and Baluch
tribesmen who revere the deity even though they are Muslims. Before entering the shrine, the
pilgrims bathe in the Hingol (also called the Aghore) river. The shrine is situated on the
mountain on the other bank of the river. The pilgrims bathe and visit the shrine in their wet
clothes.

[edit] The Shrine's Mark

The shrine is recognised by a mark which resembles the sun and the moon. This mark is upon a
giant boulder at the top of the hill containing the cave. It is believed that Lord Ram created this
mark with the strike of his arrow after his penance ended.

[edit] The Shrine

The shrine is called 'Mahal', a word of Arabic origin which means palace. The natural beauty of
the shrine has spawned folklore that it was constructed by demigods called 'Yakshas'. The walls
and roof of the cave are encrusted with colourful stones and semi-precious veins. The floor is
also multi hued.
 Nani Mandir

The entrance to the cave is around 50 feet in height. At the end of the cave is the sanctum
sanctorum , which houses the holy relic. It is covered by red clothes and vermilion. There are
two entrances to the sanctum. One has to crawl into the sanctum, take the 'darshan' and leave
through the other opening. Prasad is distributed to the pilgrims and they return after seeing the
Milky Way at night.

[edit] Hingula Pithas

Although the Hingula shrine in Balochistan is considered to be a true Shakti Peetha, other shrines
dedicated to the goddess exist in India and Sri Lanka. One important shrine is located 14 km
from Talcher in the state of Orissa in India. King Nala of the Vidarbha region of Western India
was an ardent devotee of Devi Hingula. He was approached by the King of Puri for help. In order
to start cooking 'Mahaprasada' for Lord Jagannath he had to procure Devi Hingula as fire for the
temple kitchen. The Goddess agreed and moved to Puri as fire. The Hingula shrine in
Balochistan with its location west of the River Indus (and in Balochistan ) is the only Shakti
Peetha outside the subcontinent.

[edit] NotesMakran Mud Volcano - John Seach

Pakistan

Active mud volcanoes on, and offshore, eastern Makran, Pakistan

Two active onshore mud volcano fields (Chandragup and Jebel-u-Ghurab)

Offshore mud volcano (Malan Island) newly born in March 1999

 Mud Volcanoes
Mud volcano
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  (Redirected from Mud volcanoes)

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A series of mud volcanoes in Gobustan, Azerbaijan

Mud volcano in Baratang, Andaman Islands. India

Mud volcano in the Gulf of Mexico sea bottom

Hydrate-bearing sediments, which often are associated with mud volcano activity.
Source: USGS, 1996.

The geothermal phenomena known as "mud volcanoes" are often not true mud volcanoes. See
mudpot for further information.

The terms mud volcano or mud dome are used to refer to formations created by geo-excreted
liquids and gases, although there are several different processes which may cause such activity.
Temperatures are much cooler in these processes than found at igneous volcanoes. The largest
mud volcano structures are 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) in diameter and reach 700 metres (2,300 ft) in
height.[citation needed]

About 20% of the gas released from these structures is methane, with much less carbon dioxide
and nitrogen emitted. Ejected materials are often a slurry of fine solids suspended in liquids
which may include water, which is frequently acidic or salty, and hydrocarbon fluids.

Recently, possible mud volcanoes have been identified on Mars.[1]

Contents
[hide]

 1 Details
o 1.1 Features
o 1.2 Emissions
 2 Locations
o 2.1 Europe
o 2.2 Asia
 2.2.1 Lusi (Indonesia)
 2.2.2 Central Asia
 2.2.3 Azerbaijan
 2.2.4 Iran
 2.2.5 Pakistan
 2.2.6 Philippines
 2.2.7 Other Asian locations
o 2.3 North America
 2.3.1 Yellowstone's "Mud Volcano"
o 2.4 South America
 2.4.1 Venezuela
 2.4.2 Colombia
 3 See also
 4 Notes
 5 External links

[edit] Details
A mud volcano may be the result of a piercement structure created by a pressurized mud diapir
which breaches the Earth's surface or ocean bottom. Their temperatures may be as low as the
freezing point of the ejected materials, particularly when venting is associated with the creation
of hydrocarbon clathrate hydrate deposits. Mud volcanoes are often associated with petroleum
deposits and tectonic subduction zones and orogenic belts; hydrocarbon gases are often erupted.
They are also often associated with lava volcanoes; in the case of such close proximity, mud
volcanoes emit incombustible gases including helium, whereas lone mud volcanoes are more
likely to emit methane.

Approximately 1,100 mud volcanoes have been identified on land and in shallow water. It has
been estimated that well over 10,000 may exist on continental slopes and abyssal plains.

[edit] Features

 Gryphon: steep-sided cone shorter than 3 meters that extrudes mud

 Mud cone: high cone shorter than 10 meters that extrudes mud and rock fragments
 Scoria cone: cone formed by heating of mud deposits during fires
 Salse: water-dominated pools with gas seeps
 Spring: water-dominated outlets smaller than 0.5 meters
 Mud shield

[edit] Emissions

Most liquid and solid material is released during eruptions, but various seeps occur during
dormant periods.

First order estimates of mud volcano emissions have recently been made (1 Tg = 1 million metric
tonnes).

 2002: L.I. Dimitrov estimated that 10.2–12.6 Tg/yr of methane is released from onshore and
shallow offshore mud volcanoes.
 2002: Etiope and Klusman estimated at least 1–2 and as much as 10–20 Tg/yr of methane may
be emitted from onshore mud volcanoes.
 2003: Etiope, in an estimate based on 120 mud volcanoes: "The emission results to be
conservatively between 5 and 9 Tg/yr, that is 3–6% of the natural methane sources officially
considered in the atmospheric methane budget. The total geologic source, including MVs (this
work), seepage from seafloor (Kvenvolden et al., 2001), microseepage in hydrocarbon-prone
areas and geothermal sources (Etiope and Klusman, 2002), would amount to 35–45 Tg/yr."[2]
 2003: analysis by Milkov et al. suggests that the global gas flux may be as high as 33 Tg/yr
(15.9 Tg/yr during quiescent periods plus 17.1 Tg/yr during eruptions). Six teragrams per year of
greenhouse gases are from onshore and shallow offshore mud volcanoes. Deep-water sources
may emit 27 Tg/yr. Total may be 9% of fossil CH4 missing in the modern atmospheric CH4 budget,
and 12% in the preindustrial budget. [3]
 2003: Alexei Milkov estimated approximately 30.5 Tg/yr of gases (mainly methane and CO2) may
escape from mud volcanoes to the atmosphere and the ocean. [4]
 2003: Achim J. Kopf estimated 1.97×1011 to 1.23×1014 m³ of methane is released by all mud
volcanoes per year, of which 4.66×107 to 3.28×1011 m³ is from surface volcanoes.[5] That converts
to 141–88,000 Tg/yr from all mud volcanoes, of which 0.033–235 Tg is from surface volcanoes.

[edit] Locations
Two mud volcanoes on the Taman Peninsula near Taman Stanitsa

Satellite image of mud volcanoes in Pakistan

[edit] Europe

There are generally few mud volcanoes in Europe, but dozens can be found on the Taman
Peninsula of Russia and the Kerch Peninsula of southeastern Ukraine. In Italy, they are common
in the northern front of the Apennines and in Sicily. Another relatively accessible place where
mud volcanoes can be found in Europe are the Berca Mud Volcanoes near Berca in Buzău
County, Romania, close to the Carpathian Mountains.

[edit] Asia

[edit] Lusi (Indonesia)

Drilling or an earthquake may have resulted in the Sidoarjo mud flow on May 29, 2006, in the
Porong subdistrict of East Java province, Indonesia. The mud covered about 440 hectares, or
1,087 acres (4.40 km2), and inundated four villages, homes, roads, rice fields, and factories,
displacing about 24,000 people and killing 14. The gas exploration company involved was
operated by PT Lapindo Brantas. In 2008, it was termed the world's largest mud volcano and is
beginning to show signs of catastrophic collapse, according to geologists who have been
monitoring it and the surrounding area. A catastrophic collapse could sag the vent and
surrounding area by up to 150 metres (490 ft) in the next decade. In March 2008, the scientists
observed drops of up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) in one night. Most of the subsidence in the area around
the volcano is more gradual, at around 0.1 centimetres (0.039 in) per day. Now named Lusi – a
contraction of Lumpur Sidoarjo, where lumpur is the Indonesian word for "mud" – the mud
volcano appears to be a hydrocarbon/hydrothermal hybrid.

[edit] Central Asia

Many mud volcanoes exist on the shores of the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. Tectonic forces and
large sedimentary deposits around the latter have created several fields of mud volcanoes, many
of them emitting methane and other hydrocarbons. Features over 200 metres (656 ft) high exist
in Azerbaijan, with large eruptions sometimes producing flames of similar scale (see below).
Iran and Pakistan also possess mud volcanoes in the Makran range of mountains in the south of
the two countries. In fact, the world's largest and highest volcano is located in Balochistan,
Pakistan.[6]

[edit] Azerbaijan
Main article: Gobustan State Reserve

Azerbaijan and its Caspian coastline are home to nearly 400 mud volcanoes, more than half the
total throughout the continents. In 2001, one mud volcano 15 kilometres (9 mi) from Baku made
world headlines when it suddenly started ejecting flames 15 metres (49 ft) high.[7]

In Azerbaijan, eruptions are driven from a deep mud reservoir which is connected to the surface
even during dormant periods, when seeping water still shows a deep origin. Seeps have
temperatures up to 2 °C (3.6 °F) - 3 °C (5.4 °F) above the ambient temperature.[8]

[edit] Iran

There are many mud volcano in Iran: in Hormozgan province, Sistan & Balouchestan province
and Golestan province

[[File:Mud volcano in Jask, Hormozgan province, Iran.jpg]] Mud volcano in Iran

[edit] Pakistan

In Pakistan there are more than 80 active mud volcanoes, all of them in Baluchistan province;
there are about 10 locations having clusters of mud volcanoes. In the west, in Gwadar District,
the mud volcanoes are very small and mostly sit in the south of Jabal-e-Mehdi toward Sur
Bandar. Many more exist in the north-east of Ormara. The remainder are in Lasbela District and
are scattered between south of Gorangatti on Koh Hinglaj to Koh Kuk in the North of Miani Hor
in the Hangol Valley. In this region, the heights of mud volcanoes range between 800 to 1,550
feet (243.8 to 472.4 m). The most famous is Chandaragup. The biggest crater found is about
50 feet (15.24 m) in diameter. Most mud volcanoes in this region are situated in out-of-reach
areas having very difficult terrain. Dormant mud volcanoes stand like columns of mud in many
other areas.

[edit] Philippines

In the Turtle Islands, in the province of Tawi-Tawi, the southwestern edge of the Philippines
bordering Malaysia, presence of mud volcanoes are evident on three of the islands - Lihiman,
Great Bakkungan and Boan Islands. The northeastern part of Lihiman Island is distinguished for
having more violent kind of mud extrusions mixed with large pieces of rocks, creating a 20-m
(66-ft) wide crater on that hilly part of the island.[9] Such extrusions are reported to be
accompanied by mild earthquakes and evidence of extruded materials can be found high up the
surrounding trees. Submarine mud extrusions off the island, have also been observed by local
residents.[10]

[edit] Other Asian locations

 China has a number of mud volcanoes in Xinjiang province.

 There are also mud volcanoes at the Arakan Coast in Myanmar (Burma).
 There are two active mud volcanoes in South Taiwan, and several inactive ones.
 The island of Baratang, part of the Great Andaman archipelago in the Andaman Islands, Indian
Ocean, has several sites of mud volcanic activity. There was a significant eruption event in 2003.
 There are mud volcanoes on the island of Pulau Tiga, off the western coast of the Malaysian
state of Sabah on Borneo.
 A drilling accident offshore of Brunei on Borneo in 1979 caused a mud volcano which took 20
relief wells and nearly 30 years to halt the eruption.

A cold mud pot in Northern California, showing the scale

A cold mud pot in Glenblair, California

Yagrumito Mud Volcano in Monagas, Venezuela (6 km from Maturín)

One of the Devil's Woodyard Volcano (Hindustan, Trinidad & Tobago)

[edit] North America

Mud volcanoes of the North American continent include:

 A field of small (<2 metres (6.6 ft) high) fault controlled cold mud volcanoes is located on
California's Mendocino Coast, near Glenblair and Fort Bragg. The fine grained clay is occasionally
harvested by local potters.[11]
 Shrub and Klawasi mud volcanoes in the Copper River basin by the Wrangell Mountains, Alaska.
Emissions are mostly CO2 and nitrogen; the volcanoes are associated with magmatic processes.
 An unnamed mud volcano 30 metres (98 ft) high and with a top about 100 metres (328 ft) wide,
24 kilometres (15 mi) off Redondo Beach, California, and 800 metres (2,620 ft) under the surface
of the Pacific Ocean.
 A field of small (<3 metres (9.8 ft)) mud volcanoes in the Salton Sea geothermal area near the
town of Niland, California. Emissions are mostly CO2.
 Smooth Ridge mud volcano in 1,000 metres (3,280 ft) of water near Monterey Canyon,
California.
 Kaglulik mud volcano, 43 metres (141 ft) under the surface of the Beaufort Sea, near the
northern boundary of Alaska and Canada. Petroleum deposits are believed to exist in the area.
 Maquinna mud volcano, located 16–18 kilometres (9.9–11 mi) west of Vancouver Island, British
Columbia, Canada.
 There are many mud volcanoes in Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean, near oil reserves in
southern parts of the island of Trinidad. As of August 15, 2007, the mud volcano titled the
 Moruga Bouffle was said to being spitting up methane gas which shows signs that it is definitely
active. There are also several other mud volcanoes in the tropical island which include:
o the Devils Woodyard mud volcano near Hindustan
o the Moruga Bouffe mud volcano near Moruga
o the Piparo mud volcano
o the Chatham mud volcano located underwater in the Columbus Channel; this mud
volcano periodically produces a short-lived island.

Yellowstone's "Mud Volcano" feature[12]

[edit] Yellowstone's "Mud Volcano"

The name of Yellowstone National Park's "Mud Volcano" feature and the surrounding area is
misleading; it consists of hot springs, mud pots and fumaroles, rather than a true mud volcano.
Depending upon the precise definition of the term mud volcano, the Yellowstone formation
could be considered a hydrothermal mud volcano cluster. The feature is much less active than in
its first recorded description, although the area is quite dynamic. Yellowstone is an active
geothermal area with a magma chamber near the surface, and active gases are chiefly steam,
carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide.[13]

The mud volcano in Yellowstone was previously a mound, until suddenly, it tore itself apart into
the formation seen today.[14]

[edit] South America

[edit] Venezuela

The eastern part of Venezuela contains several mud volcanoes, all of them, as in Trinidad,
having an origin related to oil deposits. The image shows the Volcán de lodo de Yagrumito,
about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from Maturín, Venezuela. Its mud contains, water, biogenic gas, a
certain amount of hydrocarbons and an important quantity of salt. Cows from the savanna often
gather around to lick the dried mud for its salt content, which is an integral part of their diet
needed to produce milk.
 [edit] Colombia

Volcan El Totumo,[15] which marks the division between Bolivar and Atlantico in Colombia. This
volcano is approximately 50 feet (15 m) high and can accommodate 10 to 15 people on its crater;
many tourists and locals visit this volcano due to the medicinal benefits of the mud; the volcano
is located next to a cienaga, or lake. This volcano is currently under a legal fight between the
Bolivar and Atlantico Departamentos because of its tourist value.

[edit] See also

Jun 2nd
2009

Famous Volcanoes
Posted in: Astronomy by Fraser Cain (Comments Off)

Mount St. Helens eruption in 1981

At any time there are about 20 volcanoes actively erupting around the world, and about 50-70 volcanoes
have erupted in the last year or so. There are a total of 550 volcanoes that have erupted in all of recorded
history. Some of these active volcanos are extremely famous, often because of a tremendous loss of life.
Here’s a list of some famous volcanoes:

Caribbean

 Mount Pelee – A stratovolcano on the island of Martinique that killed more than 30,000 people during an eruption
in 1902.
 Soufriere Hills – A dormant volcano that returned to life in 1995 forcing the evacuation of the island of Montserrat.

Volcanoes in Costa Rica

 Arenal Volcano
 Barva Volcano
 Irazu Volcano
 Poas Volcano
 Rincon de la Vieja
 Turrialba Volcano

Volcanoes in Guatemala

 Fuego
 Pacaya
 Santa Maria

Ecuador

 Cotopaxi – A very active volcano in Ecuador, popular with hikers.

 Chimborazo – This dormant stratovolcano is the highest point in Ecuador, and actually the most distant point from
the center of the Earth.
 Cayambe – Another dormant stratovolcano in Ecuador. It’s the third tallest peak in the country.

Greece

 Thera – The volcano that devastated the island of Santorini; one of the most powerful volcano eruptions in
recorded history.

Indonesia

 Krakatoa – This used to be an island in the Sunda Strait near the island of Java. It exploded in 1883 creating one
of the largest eruptions in recorded history.
 Mount Tambora – A stratovolcano on the island of Sumbawa in Indonesia. It exploded in 1815 producing the most
powerful eruption in recorded history.
 Mount Merapi – An active volcano in Indonesia, on the island of Java near the city of Yogyakarta. It’s so active that
ash is almost constantly coming out the top of the volcano, and it has had several recent devastating eruptions.

Italy

 Mount Etna – An active volcano on the Island of Sicily. It’s in an almost constant state of eruption, with huge ash
clouds visible from the island.
 Mount Vesuvius – A dangerous volcano near Italian city of Naples. It’s most famous for the devastating eruption in
AD 79 that destroyed the towns of Pomeii and Herculaneum.
 Mount Stromboli – An active volcano just off the coast of Sicily. It has been constantly erupting for the last 2,000
years or so.

Japan

 Mount Fuji – The iconic Japanese stratovolcano – the highest point in Japan.

Mexico
 Barcena
 Ceboruco
 Chichinautzin
 Cofre de Perote
 Colima
 El Chichon
 Jocotitlan Volcano
 Nevado de Toluca
 Paricutin
 Pico de Orizaba
 Popocatepetl
 San Martin
 Socorro
 Tacana

Philippines

 Mount Pinatubo – An active stratovolcano in the Philippines that erupted in 1991, producing the second most
powerful eruption in the 20th century.
 Mount Mayon – This stratovolcano in the Philippines has one of the most perfect cones of all the volcanoes in the
world.

United States (Hawaii volcanoes)

 Mauna Loa – This active shield volcano is the second tallest volcano in the world, but it’s the biggest volcano in the
world, with the most volume. It has erupted within the last century.
 Hualalai – The third most active volcano in Hawaii.
 Kilauea – An active volcano on the eastern side of the Island of Hawaii. It’s in an almost constant state of eruption,
and one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
 Kohala – The oldest of the 5 volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii.
 Mauna Kea – The tallest volcano in the world, located on the Big Island of Hawaii.
 Mount St. Helens – An active volcano in Washington State. It detonated in 1980, destroying thousands of square
km of forest and killed 57 people.
 Mount Mazama – This is the name for the stratovolcano that exploded more than 7000 years ago, creating what is
now Crater Lake in Oregon.
 Mount Rainier – An active stratovolcano that dominates the skyline over Seattle. 150,000 people live on mudflows
that erupted out of the volcano 5,000 years ago.

Want more resources on the Earth? Here’s a link to NASA’s Human Spaceflight page, and here’s
NASA’s Visible Earth.
We have also recorded an episode of Astronomy Cast about Earth, as part of our tour through the
Solar System – Episode 51: Earth.
RETURN TOP

World Famous Volcanoes

If you want to know some of the world famous volcanoes, read this article.
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Volcanoes are like notorious criminals who gain fame because of the severe damage that they do every
time they erupt. Volcanoes can be anywhere in the world, on land, under water and even under snow.
They are vents through which the molten magma erupts onto the earth surface due to the overwhelming
pressure and gas pressure, which is often lighter than the surrounding which, is the reason it tries to rise
up thus resulting in an enormous amount of pressure being generated and a resultant eruption. The lava
that flows out of the crevices or the vent makes volcanoes as damaging as it is perceived now as since
the temperature of lava is so high that it can immediately burn any thing that is in the vicinity. Here we
would discuss some of the world famous volcanoes.

Famous Volcanoes of the World

 Mount Vesuvius, Italy- This volcano killed about 2000 people in 79 A.D. and buried the entire city
of Pompeii under ashes. However this volcano is no more active now, it is an extinct volcano
now, though it might become active anytime. When it erupted there was no liquid lava as such,
only ash and volcanic bombs which caused much of the destruction.
 Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii- This volcano lies in the southeast part of the Hawaii and major portion
of the volcano remains under water. This volcano overlaps on the Mauna Loa shield of the
volcano and is considered to be the most active volcano in the past. There are various legends
that are associated with this volcano and its eruptions. The crater that can be seen at present
was actually formed in the year 1790 and it comprises of a pit called Halemaumau. The present
eruption of this volcano began in 1983 and there are layers of lave on the craters that are
somewhere around 1000 years old. The present eruption has already destroyed more than 200
houses and has covered approximately100 square kilometer of land.
 Llullaillaco, Argentina-Chile- This is one of the tallest active volcanoes in the world and it is
located in the Atacama region, which has a number of volcanoes. There is a loot of debris around
the volcano and is covered with snow most of the times. There are avalanche deposits which are
 related to the southern flows of the Lava from the volcano. There are no activities, which can be
observed now in this volcano. This volcano last erupted in 1877.
 Mount Saint Helens Volcano, Washington- This volcano erupted in 1980 and wreaked havoc on
the people one again. It erupted for the first time approximately 120 years back and the eruption
was as strong as the explosion of about 30,000 nuclear bombs. The eruption that occurred lately
showed 5.1 on the Richter scale, which lead to the collapse of the north side of the mountain and
resulted into a lot of avalanche debris. The eruption lasted for about nine years and it burnt down
around 230 square miles of forest area. This eruption took 60 lives in spite of prior warnings. The
eruption changed the landscape surrounding the mountain.